Opening Day Remarks of State Sen. Stan Matsunaka
The following speech is the 63rd Colorado General Assembly opening day (January 10, 2001) remarks of Senate President Stan Matsunaka.
President Powers, Reverend Dooling, fellow colleagues, honored guests and friends. Today we open a new chapter in Colorado history as we commence this 63rd General Assembly. Sixty-two times before us, spanning 124 years, the General Assembly has convened for the purpose of doing the people's business. As members of this 63rd General Assembly, we should understand that our work here for the next 120 days is the highest responsibility given to any citizen.As children, we have all heard our parents speak of the American dream and of the hard work and dedication necessary to achieve it. My family is a living embodiment of that dream. My grandfather came to Colorado for a better opportunity, and my father served with distinction in World War II with the 442nd regimental combat team. They proved that, with honor and perseverance, anyone can attain the American dream, no matter the obstacles.
But growing up here in this beautiful Centennial State, I came to believe in another dream, the Colorado dream. To me the Colorado dream means many things.
It means keeping our state the best in America to raise and educate a family. It means extending our economic prosperity to future generations. It means ensuring we have quality public schools where every child reaches his or her potential. And the Colorado dream means, perhaps most of all, preserving what the world knows as a place to enjoy the staggering natural beauty God has bestowed on us.
I believe that my colleagues in the Republican party, both House and Senate share my dream for Colorado. I know they also want the best for our state. We may differ in emphasis and philosophy but those differences are not as great as our similarities. I know that at times during this session we will disagree and it is part of human nature for conflict to escalate and do damage to common goals. I pledge as the leader of this body that when conflicts arise I will do my best to de-escalate those conflicts and keep our eye on the ball, which is the welfare of our people and state. I reach out the hand of friendship to the Governor and the Republican legislators. We know that you have your values just as we have ours. And we know that those values embody your view of the best Colorado. We will only achieve Colorado's best if we take ideas and inspiration from both sides of the aisle.
To me, the Colorado dream is simple, but at the same time so very fragile. And unless we meet the challenges that face us head on, we in stand in danger of losing that dream.
So my pledge to you here today, as is the pledge of my colleagues in the Majority Caucus, is to protect and preserve the Colorado dream.
We want the people to know that we have a vision and a commitment to ensure that the Colorado they love and cherish will be there for their children and grandchildren. But doing so means changing the way the Senate, and hopefully other parts of state government, do business.
Our entitlement to lead that change comes with being elected as the first Democratic majority in the last 40 years. As Democrats, we don't pretend to have all the answers. We do expect, and we will achieve, a new way of governing that centers on engaging in open and healthy dialogue with the people of this state.
Since last November, we've enacted a number of new initiatives that will lead to fulfilling this pledge.
In the past, our limited 120-day session has often made the task of conducting legislative business overwhelming. That is why, along with Senators Perlmutter and Thiebaut, we initiated a significant streamlining of Senate committees and practices. In doing so we will meet the objective of providing more time for interaction with our constituents, and more opportunity for consideration of bills.
Our commitment to more direct government also means providing the people more access to this legislature. Citizens from the Western Slope and other parts of the state often go to great lengths just to come to Denver and meet with us. That is not good enough. Instead of forcing the people to come to government, we want to bring government to the people.
Just yesterday, our Legislative Information Services group unveiled audio Internet access to every floor and committee action for both the House and Senate. This accelerated plan was done at my behest and through the hard work of our staff. The ability to provide this service marks a new era of access for the people of Colorado.
As important to greater access, is greater bipartisanship. The late congressman Sam Rayburn of Texas once said, "any jackass can kick down a barn, but it takes a carpenter to build one." The people of Colorado want carpenters, they want leaders who will work to build a better future. I ask you to join me in heeding each other's voices to create a great harmonious song, not a dissonance that adds to the cynicism and disaffection that many feel for the political process.
Third in our commitment to redefining government comes in sharpening our focus. Too often the legislature has strayed from the people's agenda and on to that of the special interests. While we recognize that lobbyists are people too, our commitment is to stay attentive to the fundamental challenges that face Colorado, and especially those that pose danger to the Colorado dream.
The most important of the Majority principles, is our commitment to responsible, reasonable and honest solutions. The political opinions and beliefs of Coloradans are diverse. But I firmly believe we share the same basic aspirations for our state and our children. We pledge honesty in dealing with the people and our colleagues in state government, and we expect the same in return.
Let me turn to what my colleagues and I see as the important issues facing our state. First, without question, is education. Yesterday our Senators announced the priorities and principles that will set the education agenda for the 2001 session. These include more accountability for all those involved in educating our children. Hand in hand with accountability comes flexibility. Our principles focus on giving local school districts the flexibility to achieve the education priorities set by our state government.
We welcome Governor Owens and anyone else to the Democrat's longstanding agenda of more accountability, reduced class size and increased quality of instruction. For myself as the Education Committee Chair, and for the members of our Caucus, the message is simple. We will leave no child behind. We will strive for Colorado's public education to be the best in the nation. And we will find the resources and the creativity needed to ensure that the mandate of Amendment 23 is fulfilled. It is against these principles that all education bills will be judged.
Growth is and has been a concern of the residents of Colorado for a long time. Senator Perlmutter asked me to read a Denver Post article in February 1974. Professor David Monarchi, a population expert at the University of Colorado, accurately predicted that Colorado's population would be over 4 million people by year 2000, and that this growth would place on us enormous challenges. All of these challenges are evident today. Professor Monarchi's conclusions were prophetic, as he said, "The lawmakers have been digging into the problem deeply, and they know it will not go away. Some of them know at least, that the sooner they act, the better chance there will be to save Colorado from some of the damages of growth."
It's 26 years later, and we still must confront the consequences of growth. In December, we took the first step toward a solution by establishing a set of ten guiding Principles for developing growth legislation. We intend to use these principles, such as preserving our quality of life and creating a framework for more regional planning, as the cornerstones of our growth plan.
We cannot sustain our economic prosperity or our quality of life without investing in transportation to keep up with growth. We must plan for our future now and implement that plan now. We will scrutinize the Governor's 20-year plan in order to determine how best to pursue multi-modal solutions that we know nearly every part of the state needs. We must be honest with our citizens and communicate truthfully about the level of investments needed to avoid the economic and social cost of gridlock.
On the critical issues of confronting the challenges of Amendment 23 on transportation, you have my personal pledge; the Senate Majority will never play politics with our children's education, nor pit the critical needs of this state against each other. We can and will find a solution that allows us to fund schools and invest in transportation without threatening the state's fiscal integrity.
Without question, there are other issues, such as health care, water resources, and agriculture that mean so much to Colorado. But know that they mean equally as much to me. I wouldn't be standing here today without the support of my wife Kathy, and my children Melissa, Brian, and Kristi. It is to them, and all of our families, that we owe our best efforts and highest ideals toward solutions for Colorado.
The Colorado dream is alive and well, but it requires our constant nurturing and vigilance. We ask all Coloradans to join us in keeping the dream a reality, and to preserve Colorado as a place alive with prosperity, blessed with an unparalleled quality of life, and governed by measured, moderate and responsible leadership.
Thank you.